Scale

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device to be used for the sale of goods in a store. Said device comprises a unit for generating goods-related signals, a unit for generating identification signals, which represent the type of the goods to be sold, and comprises a display unit for generating a visual representation of information contents that are determined on the basis of the goods-related signals and/or identification signals. For generating a visual representation, the invention provides that the sales device is operated by quantity information that represents the present quantity of the goods of the type indicated by the identification signals.

The invention pertains to a scale according to the introductory clauseof claim 1, to a sales system realized with the use of such scales; andto a process for the visual representation of merchandise-specificinformation content during a sales transaction.

Scales of the type described above in the form of shop scales are knownfrom, for example, WO 94/04,891 and EP 0 152 055 B1. In the case of thescales described in the publications just cited, weighing cells are usedto generate merchandise-specific signals which indicate the weight ofthe merchandise, and the sale price of the weighed merchandise is thendetermined on the basis of the identification signals. For this purpose,in the case of the shop scale described in WO 94/04,891, identificationsignals indicating the type of weighed merchandise are generated byactuation of an input unit integrated into the display unit; on thebasis of these signals, the base prices (prices per unit weight) forthis merchandise are called up in turn from a data storage medium. Theprice of the weighed merchandise is then determined by multiplying theweight of the merchandise determined on the basis of themerchandise-specific weight signals by the base price called up on thebasis of the identification signals; this price is then displayed on thedisplay unit. The display unit also shows the base price of themerchandise and the weight itself. To facilitate the operation of theknown scale, information content such as pictures of the merchandise ornames representing the type of merchandise in question are displayed onthe display fields corresponding to the input fields of the input unitintegrated into the display unit. Sales transactions are thus greatlyfacilitated.

When several scales of the type described in WO 94/04,891 are used, afurther facilitation of the sales transaction is achieved by combiningthese scales into a network according to EP 0 152 055 B1, in which salesdata representing the sales transactions at the individual scales arerecorded and evaluated by a central data processing system. As a result,the sales transaction itself is facilitated, because numerous jobs whichwould otherwise have to be performed by the sales personnel can beaccomplished by the central data processing system. In addition, theoverall organization of merchandise acquisition is also facilitated, andthe sales transactions at the individual scales can also be monitoredfrom a central location.

Nevertheless, it has been discovered during the use of the networksknown from EP 0 152 055 B1 that delays frequently occur in theacquisition of merchandise, which lead to supply bottlenecks for certaingroups of merchandise and to an oversupply of other groups ofmerchandise. The articles in oversupply thus cannot be sold before theirshelf life expires.

In view of these problems of the state of the art, the invention isbased on the task of providing a scale of the type described above whichmakes possible a further optimization of the sales transaction, on thetask of providing a sales system produced with such scales, and on thetask of making available a process for visually representingmerchandise-specific information content during a sales transaction,which process can be carried out with the help of scales of this type.

With respect to the scales themselves, this task is accomplished by anelaboration of the known scales, which is characterized essentially inthat the scale for generating visual representations can be operated onthe basis of quantitative information representing the existing quantityof merchandise of the type indicated by the identification signals.

This invention is based on the insight that the problems which areobserved when the known networks are used are attributable primarily tothe fact that the data present in the central data processing system areused only sporadically to control inventory, because the central dataprocessing system must usually perform numerous tasks, such as theupdating of the data, the recording of sales data from individual salesstations and/or sales clerks, the calculation of turnover, etc. As aresult of the inventive elaboration of the known scales, however, itbecomes possible for the sales clerks themselves to monitor theinventory each time an individual item of merchandise is sold. When thesales clerk sells an individual item, checks the displayed merchandiseinformation, and finds that only a limited amount of the merchandise ofthe type just sold is on hand, he/she can initiate the acquisition ofnew merchandise of the same type. In this case, the quantitativeinformation can relate to the quantity of the merchandise in questionstill present at the sales station itself, to the quantity of themerchandise in question still on hand in the store, or to the quantityof the merchandise in question still available in an entire network ofbranch stores. In the two latter cases, the scale is advisably combinedwith other scales to form a network, where sales data are exchangedbetween the individual scales. The quantitative information can comprisenumerical data on the weight still on hand or on the number of unitsstill on hand. It is also possible, however, for the quantitativeinformation to be displayed in the form of graphics and/or coloredsymbols. In this case, a first color can be shown to indicate that thereis still a sufficient amount of merchandise on hand, a second color toindicate that there is not enough merchandise on hand, and a third colorto indicate that there is an oversupply of the merchandise on hand,which means that sales-promoting measures must be taken.

It is advisable for the quantitative information to be displayed on thesame display unit which is used for the visual representation of theinformation content determined on the basis of the merchandise-specificsignals. It would also be possible to use separate display elements suchas individual light-emitting diodes, etc., for the visual representationof the quantitative information.

It is advisable to assign a data storage device to the scale accordingto the invention to store the quantitative data representing thequantities of merchandise on hand. This data storage device can beinstalled in the scale itself. This embodiment is especially effectivewhen only a few scales are present in the store and it is therefore notabsolutely necessary to link the scales together to form a network.Especially when scales according to the invention are used insupermarkets, however, it has been found to be especially useful for thedata storage device containing the quantitative data to be installed ina central data processing system. With this arrangement, thequantitative data can be updated centrally in the central dataprocessing system, the quantitative data thus being updated every time amerchandise delivery arrives or a merchandise shipment leaves (to otherbranches), a job which would otherwise have to be performed at the scaleitself. Entering the quantitative data at the scales themselves makessense especially when the inventory data are intended to keep track ofonly certain articles.

As soon as a sales transaction is made, the quantitative data determinedby the identification signals are called up from the data storage deviceand used to generate a display of the quantitative information. If thedata storage device is at the scale itself, this call-up can be handledwithout any communication with the central data processing system orcentral merchandise management system. When a central data processingsystem is used, the identification signals are transmitted to thecentral system; the corresponding quantitative data are called up thereand transmitted back to the scale, where the corresponding display ofthe quantitative information is produced. In the case of modern dataprocessing systems, this procedure can take place very quickly, so thatthe result appears in the form of the desired representation of thequantitative information in no more than 0.5 second. As a result, it isensured that the quantitative information is already displayed by thetime the next sales transaction begins.

As already explained above, the quantitative data are advisably updatedeach time a sale is made. For this purpose, when the scales according tothe invention are used, the weight of the sold merchandise is subtractedafter each sale from the weight of the merchandise in question still onhand before this particular sale. This updating should preferably beperformed only after the sales transaction has been confirmed by theclerk, e.g., after the clerk has entered the weighed quantity ofmerchandise into the system.

In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, quantitativeinformation corresponding to the updated quantitative data is displayedafter this confirmation procedure, which means that the sales clerk canmonitor the effect of the sales transaction directly and initiate theacquisition of new merchandise if necessary.

For the purpose of generating the identification signals, the scaleaccording to the invention can be equipped with an appropriate inputunit. This input unit can comprise, for example, individual input keysor input fields for each article of merchandise to be sold. It is alsopossible, however, to use number blocks as an input unit, by means ofwhich the information signals are generated by entering PLU numbers. Itwould also be possible, furthermore, to use combination types of inputunits, by means of which the information signals are generated for someof the articles by entering their corresponding PLU numbers and forother articles by actuating the corresponding input fields or keys, asdescribed in, for example, WO 94/04,891. In addition or as analternative, the input unit can also comprise a bar-code reader or ascanner.

As can be derived from the preceding explanation of scales according tothe invention, a sales system according to the invention consistsessentially of a scale of this type and a central data processing systemfor recording and processing the sales data transmitted to it by thisscale, where the data storage device and/or the updating unit isinstalled in the central data processing system and where an input unitfor entering the quantitative information can be assigned to the datastorage device. It is also possible in particular to use a design inwhich the central data processing system itself is realized in the formof a scale according to the invention.

As can also be derived from the preceding explanation, a processaccording to the invention for the visual representation ofmerchandise-specific information content during a sales transaction, inthe course of which process information content is displayed on thedisplay unit of a sales device, this content being generated by thescale on the basis of merchandise-specific signals which include signalsrepresenting the weight of merchandise and on the basis ofidentification signals representing the type of merchandise being sold,is characterized essentially in that the scale generates a visualrepresentation of quantitative information representing the existingquantity of merchandise of the type indicated by the identificationsignals. For this purpose, the merchandise-specific signals and/or theidentification signals can be sent on to a central data processingsystem, and data corresponding to the information content to berepresented can be generated in the central data processing system andsent back to the scale for the visual representation of the informationcontent, i.e., the quantitative information.

In summary, it can be said that the idea of the invention consists inidentifying the merchandise being offered for sale at a minimum of onesales station; in calling up data concerning the inventory of theidentified merchandise; and in returning data on the weight or saleprice of the identified merchandise together with data on the inventoryback to the sales station itself, where the data required for the visualrepresentation of the information content can be managed in the scalesaccording to the invention themselves or in a separate merchandisemanagement module of known design. If the calculation and datageneration functions are carried out in the scales themselves, it isprovided that the appropriate data are copied at freely selectableintervals such as hours, days, or weeks, from a central managementmodule to the scales according to the invention . The central dataprocessing system can be installed at any desired location, such as in amain warehouse, in a subsidiary warehouse, at a special input location,or even at one of the sales stations, where it can be maintained andupdated.

1. Scale for use in the sale of merchandise in a store with a devicecomprising at least one weighing cell for generating signalsrepresenting the weight of the merchandise for the generation ofmerchandise-specific signals which include signals representing theweight, with a unit for generating identification signals representingthe type of merchandise being sold, and with a display unit forgenerating a visual representation of information .content determined onthe basis of the merchandise-specific signals and/or the identificationsignals, wherein the scale for generating a visual representation can beoperated on the basis of the quantitative information representing theexisting inventory quantity of the merchandise of the type indicated bythe identification signals.
 2. Scale according to claim 1, wherein thequantitative information is displayed by the display unit.
 3. Scaleaccording to claim 1, wherein a data storage device for storingquantitative data representing the existing inventory quantities ofmerchandise is assigned to the scale.
 4. Scale according to claim 3,wherein an updating unit for updating the quantitative data duringand/or after the sales transaction is assigned to the data storagedevice.
 5. Scale according to claim 1, wherein a unit for indicatingdata indicating the type of merchandise, on the basis of which data theidentification signals are generated.
 6. Scale according to claim 1,wherein the device for generating merchandise-specific signals isdesigned to generate signals representing the sale price of themerchandise.
 7. Sales system with a scale according to claim 1 and acentral data processing system for recording and processing the salesdata transmitted to it from the minimum of one scale.
 8. Sales systemaccording to claim 7, wherein the data storage device and/or theupdating unit is provided in the central data processing system. 9.Sales system according to claim 7, wherein an input unit for enteringthe quantitative information is assigned to the data storage device. 10.Sales system according to claim 7, wherein the central data processingsystem is realized in the form of said scale.
 11. Process for visuallyrepresenting merchandise-specific information content during a salestransaction, in the course of which process information content isdisplayed on the display unit of a scale, this content being generatedby the scale on the basis of merchandise-specific signals which includesignals representing the weight of merchandise and identificationsignals representing the type of merchandise being sold, wherein thescale generates a visual representation of quantitative informationrepresenting the existing quantity of merchandise of the type indicatedby the identification signals.
 12. Process according to claim 11,wherein the merchandise-specific signals and/or the identificationsignals are transmitted to a central data processing system, and in thatdata corresponding to the information content to be represented aregenerated in the central data processing system and transmitted to thescale for the visual representation of the information content orquantitative information.